Senate File 2115 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY LAMBERTI
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to and making appropriations concerning veterans.
2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
3 TLSB 5527XS 81
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 35A.14 VETERANS SPECIALTY FUND.
1 2 1. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" means the
1 3 same as defined in section 35.1 or a resident of this state
1 4 who served in the armed forces of the United States, completed
1 5 a minimum aggregate of ninety days of active federal service,
1 6 and was discharged under honorable conditions.
1 7 2. A veterans specialty fund is created in the state
1 8 treasury under the control of the commission.
1 9 3. The specialty fund shall consist of all of the
1 10 following:
1 11 a. Moneys in the form of a devise, gift, bequest,
1 12 donation, federal or other grant, reimbursement, repayment,
1 13 judgment, transfer, payment, or appropriation from any source
1 14 intended to be used for the purposes of the specialty fund.
1 15 b. Interest attributable to investment of moneys in the
1 16 specialty fund or in an account of the specialty fund.
1 17 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or
1 18 earnings on moneys in the specialty fund shall be credited to
1 19 the specialty fund.
1 20 4. Moneys credited to the specialty fund shall not be
1 21 transferred, used, obligated, appropriated, or otherwise
1 22 encumbered, except for purposes related to veterans as
1 23 provided in the appropriations from the specialty fund.
1 24 Moneys in the specialty fund may be used for cash flow
1 25 purposes during a fiscal year provided that any moneys so
1 26 allocated are returned to the specialty fund by the end of
1 27 that fiscal year.
1 28 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS FOR VETERANS=RELATED PROGRAMS FY
1 29 2006=2007. Notwithstanding section 12.65, subsection 2, and
1 30 section 12E.12, subsection 1, paragraph "b", subparagraph (2),
1 31 there is appropriated from the endowment for Iowa's health
1 32 account of the tobacco settlement trust fund established in
1 33 section 12E.12 to the following departments for the fiscal
1 34 year beginning July 1, 2006, and ending June 30, 2007, the
1 35 following amounts, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be
2 1 used for the purposes designated:
2 2 1. To the department of veterans affairs for deposit in
2 3 the veterans specialty fund created in section 35A.14:
2 4 .................................................. $ 25,000,000
2 5 Of the funds appropriated in this section, $5,000,000 is
2 6 allocated to the department of veterans affairs for deposit in
2 7 the veterans trust fund created in section 35A.13 to be used
2 8 for the purposes specified in that section.
2 9 Of the funds appropriated in this section, $1,200,000 is
2 10 allocated to the department of cultural affairs to be used for
2 11 the Sullivan brothers Iowa veterans museum for the technology
2 12 necessary to display and store testimonials of Iowa veterans.
2 13 2. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated or
2 14 allocated under this section that remain unencumbered or
2 15 unobligated at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert
2 16 but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes
2 17 designated until the close of the succeeding fiscal year.
2 18 Sec. 3. COUNTY VETERANS COORDINATORS == APPROPRIATION.
2 19 There is appropriated from the veterans specialty fund created
2 20 in section 35A.14 to the department of veterans affairs, for
2 21 the designated fiscal years, the following amounts, or so much
2 22 thereof as is necessary, to be allocated and used to provide
2 23 financial assistance to counties to provide a specialized
2 24 veterans coordinator in the county:
2 25 FY 2006=2007...................................... $ 1,230,000
2 26 FY 2007=2008...................................... $ 1,230,000
2 27 FY 2008=2009...................................... $ 1,230,000
2 28 FY 2009=2010...................................... $ 1,230,000
2 29 FY 2010=2011...................................... $ 1,230,000
2 30 1. The department of veterans affairs shall adopt rules
2 31 relating to the provision of financial assistance to counties
2 32 for specialized veterans coordinators. The rules adopted
2 33 shall include but are not limited to all of the following:
2 34 a. Minimum qualifications for a specialized veterans
2 35 coordinator.
3 1 b. A requirement that each specialized veterans
3 2 coordinator devote at least 20 hours weekly to veterans
3 3 duties.
3 4 c. A provision that financial assistance provided by the
3 5 state will be equal to 50 percent of the cost of providing a
3 6 specialized veterans coordinator in an individual county and
3 7 will be equal to 60 percent of the cost if two or more
3 8 counties share a coordinator.
3 9 d. A formula for prorating the funds available in any
3 10 fiscal year if the requests of counties for financial
3 11 assistance under this section exceed the amount of funds
3 12 available in that fiscal year.
3 13 2. The department of veterans affairs shall report
3 14 annually to the governor and the general assembly regarding
3 15 the amount of funds expended under this section, the identity
3 16 of recipients of funding under this section, and the
3 17 accomplishments of the specialized veterans coordinators
3 18 including but not limited to the number of veterans served and
3 19 any resulting increases in benefits to veterans.
3 20 3. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated under
3 21 this section that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the
3 22 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain
3 23 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until
3 24 the close of the succeeding fiscal year.
3 25 Sec. 4. VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS == APPROPRIATION.
3 26 There is appropriated from the veterans specialty fund created
3 27 in section 35A.14 to the department of veterans affairs, for
3 28 the designated fiscal years, the following amounts, or so much
3 29 thereof as is necessary, to be used to provide matching funds
3 30 to veterans service organizations for the support of veterans
3 31 services offices:
3 32 FY 2006=2007...................................... $ 800,000
3 33 FY 2007=2008...................................... $ 800,000
3 34 FY 2008=2009...................................... $ 800,000
3 35 FY 2009=2010...................................... $ 800,000
4 1 FY 2010=2011...................................... $ 800,000
4 2 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated under
4 3 this section that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the
4 4 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain
4 5 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until
4 6 the close of the succeeding fiscal year.
4 7 Sec. 5. NATIONAL GUARD HOUSING ASSISTANCE ==
4 8 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the veterans
4 9 specialty fund created in section 35A.14 to the Iowa finance
4 10 authority for the designated fiscal years, the following
4 11 amounts, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for
4 12 continuation of the home ownership assistance program for
4 13 persons who are eligible members of the armed forces of the
4 14 United States implemented pursuant to 2003 Iowa Acts, chapter
4 15 179, section 21, subsection 5, as enacted by 2005 Iowa Acts,
4 16 chapter 161, section 1, and amended by 2005 Iowa Acts, chapter
4 17 115, section 37:
4 18 FY 2006=2007...................................... $ 1,730,000
4 19 FY 2007=2008...................................... $ 1,730,000
4 20 FY 2008=2009...................................... $ 1,730,000
4 21 FY 2009=2010...................................... $ 1,730,000
4 22 FY 2010=2011...................................... $ 1,730,000
4 23 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated under
4 24 this section that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the
4 25 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain
4 26 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until
4 27 the close of the succeeding fiscal year.
4 28 EXPLANATION
4 29 This bill relates to and makes appropriations concerning
4 30 veterans. The bill creates a new fund, the veterans specialty
4 31 fund, under the control of the commission of veterans affairs.
4 32 Moneys deposited in the fund are to be used for the purposes
4 33 related to veterans as provided in the appropriations from the
4 34 fund.
4 35 The bill makes appropriations for FY 2006=2007. The bill
5 1 appropriates $25,000,000 from the endowment for Iowa's health
5 2 account of the tobacco settlement trust fund to the department
5 3 of veterans affairs for deposit in the newly created veterans
5 4 specialty fund. Of the funds appropriated, for FY 2006=2007,
5 5 $5,000,000 is allocated to the department of veterans affairs
5 6 for deposit in the veterans specialty fund created in Code
5 7 section 35A.14 to be used for the purposes specified in that
5 8 Code section and $1,200,000 is allocated to the department of
5 9 cultural affairs to be used for the Sullivan brothers Iowa
5 10 veterans museum for the technology necessary to display and
5 11 store testimonials of Iowa veterans. Moneys appropriated or
5 12 allocated under this Code section that remain unencumbered or
5 13 unobligated at the close of the fiscal year do not revert but
5 14 remain available for expenditure for the purposes designated
5 15 until the close of the succeeding fiscal year.
5 16 The bill appropriates $1.23 million for each fiscal year
5 17 beginning with FY 2006=2007 and ending with FY 2010=2011 from
5 18 the veterans specialty fund to the department of veterans
5 19 affairs, to be used to provide financial assistance to
5 20 counties to provide a specialized veterans coordinator in the
5 21 county. The bill directs the department of veterans affairs
5 22 to adopt rules relating to the provision of financial
5 23 assistance to counties for specialized veterans coordinators
5 24 including minimum qualifications for a specialized veterans
5 25 coordinator, a requirement that each specialized veterans
5 26 coordinator devote at least 20 hours weekly to veterans
5 27 duties, a provision that financial assistance provided by the
5 28 state will be equal to 50 percent of the cost of providing a
5 29 specialized veterans coordinator in an individual county and
5 30 will be equal to 60 percent of the cost if two or more
5 31 counties share a coordinator, a formula for prorating the
5 32 funds available in any fiscal year if the requests of counties
5 33 for financial assistance exceed the amount of funds available
5 34 in that fiscal year. The bill directs the department of
5 35 veterans affairs to report, annually, to the governor and the
6 1 general assembly regarding the amount of funds expended, the
6 2 identity of recipients of funding, and the accomplishments of
6 3 the specialty veterans coordinators, including but not limited
6 4 to the number of veterans served and any resulting increases
6 5 in benefits to veterans. Moneys appropriated that remain
6 6 unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year do
6 7 not revert but remain available for expenditure for the
6 8 purposes designated until the close of the succeeding fiscal
6 9 year.
6 10 The bill appropriates $800,000 for each fiscal year
6 11 beginning with FY 2006=2007 and ending with FY 2010=2011 from
6 12 the veterans specialty fund to the department of veterans
6 13 affairs, to be used to provide matching funds to veterans
6 14 service organizations for the support of veterans services
6 15 offices. Moneys appropriated that remain unencumbered or
6 16 unobligated at the close of the fiscal year do not revert but
6 17 remain available for expenditure for the purposes designated
6 18 until the close of the succeeding fiscal year.
6 19 The bill appropriates $1.73 million for each fiscal year
6 20 beginning with FY 2006=2007 and ending with FY 2010=2011 from
6 21 the veterans specialty fund to the Iowa finance authority to
6 22 be used for a home ownership assistance program for persons
6 23 who are eligible members of the armed forces of the United
6 24 States. An "eligible member of the armed forces of the United
6 25 States" means a resident of this state who is or was a member
6 26 of the national guard, reserve, or regular component of the
6 27 armed forces of the United States who has served at least 90
6 28 days of active duty service during the period beginning
6 29 September 11, 2001, and ending June 30, 2011. If the eligible
6 30 member is deceased, the surviving spouse of the eligible
6 31 member is eligible for a loan under the program, subject to
6 32 the surviving spouse meeting the program's eligibility
6 33 requirements other than the military service requirement.
6 34 Moneys appropriated that remain unencumbered or unobligated at
6 35 the close of the fiscal year do not revert but remain
7 1 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until
7 2 the close of the succeeding fiscal year.
7 3 LSB 5527XS 81
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